August 2008 Votes

[roundwood123]

That's correct - you only see the scores once you've voted.

Cheers,

I could see the votes before i voted, i think if you are not logged in you can see the voting, if you then log in and have not voted the voted disapear, if that makes sense

[Pete Eeles]

Yes it does - thanks for that. I'll definitely look into this!

Cheers,

- Pete

[PaulDyer]

OK I'm new here so I don't expect any comments I have to make to carry much wieght

Having taken a quick look at the voting results so far and then a random sample of the images on the gallery for the current competition I notice that:

31 members have voted at the time of writing.
The mean number of views per image is, of the sample, is 18 with a low of 12 and a high of 77.
The number of viewings does not rise according to the rarerity of the species shown in the image.
The image I considered the best of the buch has only been veiwed 27 times, 4 times by me, so that means at least 8 voters didn't take a look.

Now, the quality of the image cannot be determined by the thumbnail shown in the gallery so it appears to indicate that another method of selection is taking place. Therefore there may be good merit in the suggestion that entries ramain anonymous until after the voting takes place.

This is not sour grapes because I know that the image I have submitted is not the best, lets face it I am a coach driver working 11 out of every 14 days, and they are long days, so I don't get the opportuniy to get out there as much as I would like.

[Gruditch]

A good observation Paul, but I have a feeling that because scrolling through the images on the new system takes so long, people are looking at the thumbnails, and only blowing up the images that catch the eye. If that is the case, then having anonymous entry's would not solve the problem.
I have looked at the voting in all previous comps, and yes there has been some self voting, but no where near as much as I would have suspected, yes there has been one or two suspect registrations with suspect voting, and there are no doubt one or two members who for one reason or another would never vote for So and So,( probably because they are a sad jealous Git, with a chip on their shoulder the size of the QE 2 ) sorry went into a rant there.
I would say looking at the votes, there is no pattern to who votes for who, so I see no need for anonymity.

Gruditch

[Padfield]

I agree with Gruditch. If I needed personal validation and wanted to find out if people liked me, looking through my votes in these competitions would not help at all. Sometimes I get votes, sometimes I get none - it's all to do with whether people like the pictures. Similarly, people who have won landslide victories in the past often get very few votes on different pictures.

I'm amazed that some people haven't scrolled through all the photos, though. The new system makes it very easy and the time involved is a minuscule fraction of the time and patience and effort the photographers have put in. It would perhaps help if there were a slideshow option, but that might not be possible. A good picture needs plenty of time to be appreciated properly and for myself I would rather go through them slowly, enjoying each one at leisure.

It's important to remember that these monthly competitions are for fun and learning - nothing is really at stake. I'm not sure it's worth Pete's or Gruditch's time and effort refining the system to eliminate pettiness - petty people can get round most systems.

Guy

[Tony Moore]

Although there is not an actual 'slideshow' function, if you open the first picture and then click anywhere on it, it changes to the next picture and so on. Effectively a slide show, I would have thought. Sorry to be a bore if everyone has realised this already , but I just discovered it by accident and it seems an easy way of viewing all the entries.

[FISHiEE]

Yes, I actually like the new way of viewing the pics actually using the click to progress to the next image method. I scroll through them this way, to select my favourites, then look back to the thumbnails at the end to get the authors. You can judge on composition just from the thumbnails to some extent but to look at the real quality of the shot you need to see the larger version. Perhaps it would be nice to see the authors in the full res versions so as not to have to refer back to the thumbnails at the end to get this, though perhaps not everyone views in the same way as I do.

Perhaps people just vote from the thumbnails if they are in a rush...

[eccles]

Further on the "click to progress" method, if you click on the right hand side of a full size image you progress to the next one. Click on the left and you go back to the previous photo.

[Markulous]

Whilst I'll admit that I'd always like my pic to do well, that the whole issue of photography and forums does tend to be emotive, I do remind myself that it's only a fun competition and not one for financial gain - just the honour.

So I'm happy to fall into line where it's easiest for it to be administered - otherwise, if it becomes a pain to run it might be dropped and I think that'd be a shame. In the same vein, I've not yet sunk so far as to need to vote for myself - something that's fairly obvious, I'd have thought

BTW, the issue of seeing the totals from a non-logged in status is, I think, the underlying forum software (and not the UK Butterflies site, as such)

[NickB]

Self-voting....

Yes - you're probably right Shirley - just give them a polite and private ticking off for their first offence .....
Cheers,
- Pete

.....And if all else fails, the thought of a visit from UKB's newly-resident Rotweiller may want to make them change their mind!
N

[Susie]

Lordy, don't you all take this seriously. Isn't it supposed to be a bit of fun?

I can see the votes even though I haven't voted yet and even when I am not signed in too.

BTW, if anyone wants to buy my vote I am sure we can agree a reasonable price.

[Markulous]

BTW, if anyone wants to buy my vote I am sure we can agree a reasonable price.

I can offer one tatty Red Admiral and one Cinnabar'd Ragweed!

[Eris]

I really agree that you have to look at the large picture. Some which look average in thumbnail really stand out when you look at them in full size.

[Susie]

BTW, if anyone wants to buy my vote I am sure we can agree a reasonable price.

I can offer one tatty Red Admiral and one Cinnabar'd Ragweed!

Don't mention the "R" word!!

[eccles]

I'm sure it'd be simple enough to require a logged in status in order to see the voting thread.
BTW, isn't it 'ragwort' and 'knapweed'?

[Markulous]

BTW, isn't it 'ragwort' and 'knapweed'?

Is this the moment I claim a deliberate mistake? LOL!

( )

[Jack Harrison]

Just to really put the cat among the pigeons, I have to admit that in the past I have deliberately voted for an appalling picture to give some encouragement to the less-good photographers.

Ouch

I certainly favour anonymity.

Jack

[roundwood123]

No critique this month ?. or have i missed it ?.

[Pete Eeles]

The voting is still open - the comp. closes tomorrow.

Cheers,

- Pete

[petergat]

So - Peter - please accept my humble apologies, and please enter the photo in the September comp!

Cheers,

- Pete


No apologies necessary as I was a little late with my original posting for August - My first competition entry - No harm done, I have now re-posted the same photo as an entry in the September competition as per your suggestion.

Kind regards

Peter